Work Career Livelihood-NCRET

Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career
UNIT I
WORK, LIVELIHOOD
AND CAREER
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1
Chapter
Work, Livelihood
and Career
Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, the learner will be able to:
zz explain meaningful work, livelihood, careers and entrepreneurship.
zz understand the concepts of standard of living and quality of life.
zz know the importance of social responsibility and volunteerism.
zz explain the attitudes and approaches that contribute to quality of
work life and successful careers.
zz be sensitive to the issues of work in relation to traditional occupations
and special groups namely women, children and elderly.
zz describe the characteristics of a healthy work environment
Introduction
Deciding a career for oneself is not an easy task. On one hand, there
are several career avenues to choose from, and on the other, for a young
person, aptitude and talent are yet to be identified and recognised. Also in
some cases, interests are very diverse. Thus, it is not easy to make a choice.
In order to make the right choice, it is essential that youth be exposed to
different possible options. First, it is important to explore oneself in order
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to identify one’s own aptitudes, talent, personal preferences, needs and
aspirations. Then the exploration of options must start, in which one tries
to combine one’s strength for personal benefit as well as social contribution.
An appropriate choice will bring the person success and satisfaction.

Work and Meaningful Work
Work is primarily an activity that all human beings have to perform and
through which each one ‘fits’ into the world, creates new relations, uses
an individual’s unique talents and skills and above all, learns and grows
to develop one’s identity and a sense of belongingness to society. Work
can be described as essential activities undertaken for a purpose or out of
necessity.
Work is central in all cultures, although every culture has its own values
and perceptions about it. In fact, work essentially constitutes the bulk of
daily life activities for all human beings. The type of work undertaken by
people depends on several factors such as education, health, age, access to
opportunities, globalisation, geographic location, financial returns, family
background and so on.
Most human beings work to acquire money, provide for their families,
and to earn leisure, recreation, play and free time. Work can serve as a
catalyst for developing one’s personal identity and boosting self-esteem.
Work contributes in many forms. When we work, we contribute to
ourselves — our sense of confidence or well-being and for financial gain. We
also contribute to the organisation that employs us by helping to create
better products or a better reputation for the organisation, or greater
profits. Our work has an impact on the quality of life in the world around
us.
It can be rightly said that ‘work is the oil that lubricates the machine of
society’. Not only human beings, but all creatures and elements of nature
are constantly ‘working’, contributing to life itself. In fact, it is the collective
work of humans and nature that gives us our basic necessities, comforts
and luxuries. While in most cases, work primarily enables the worker to
earn a livelihood, there are persons who work ceaselessly for pleasure,
intellectual stimulation, contribution to society per se, despite the fact
that they do not earn any amount of money, for example, the work done
by family members for the family, volunteers, etc. Thus, work is not always
about how much money a person earns; rather it is about whether one
makes a contribution to oneself, one’s family, one’s employers, to society,
to nation or to the world.
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Work may be viewed as:
zz A ‘job’ and a means of making a ‘living’.
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part 1
zz A task, or duty that entails a sense of obligation.

zz A means of security of livelihood through securing job and income.
zz ‘Dharma’ or duty, an expression of one’s true Self, an expression
of one’s unique talents that influences the quality of life of self and
others around us.
zz A part of spiritual practice.
zz A vehicle for one’s creations.
zz A source of joy and fulfillment.
zz Working and earning one’s livelihood offers scope for hope, self-esteem
and dignity.
zz A symbol of status, power and control.
zz A rewarding experience, a sort of mental or physical workout that can
result in success.
zz A means of self development and self-actualisation (reflecting values
and aspirations).
When an individual is involved in meaningful work, s/he develops a
sense of identity, worth, and dignity.
What is meaningful work? : Meaningful work is useful to society or to
others, is done responsibly and is enjoyable to the worker. It enables
the worker to use his/her skills and judgment, to showcase his/her
creativity, or problem-solving ability. Ideally, work should be performed in
an environment that stimulates the development of positive professional
relationships and also brings recognition and/or rewards.
When the outcome or result of the work performed is meaningful or
successful, it contributes to personal growth, instills confidence and self
worth and may eventually even lead to actualisation of full potential. Work
provides opportunities to contribute to the improvement of one’s own life
conditions and that of society in the wider context.
For any person, being involved in work (as an employee or self employed)
that best suits one’s personal attributes, talents or aptitude, competence
and skills is very important. This paves the way for a life long career. So it
is important to choose something to sustain the individual’s enthusiasm
to carry on his/her work. Therefore, the work life for anyone and everyone
should ideally be an expression of one’s potentials and aspirations. Persons
entering work life and also those thinking of building a career can ask
themselves the following questions:
zz What are my special talents, traits and interests vis–a–vis an
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occupation?
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zz Is the work stimulating and challenging?
zz Is the occupation likely to give me a sense of being useful?
zz Does the job make me feel that I am contributing to society?

zz Are the ethos and environment of the workplace likely to be suitable to me?
For most persons, it is definitely imperative and obligatory to earn a
livelihood in order to fulfill the basic needs of self and family. Most work
can be for earning money – such work is conventionally referred to as a
‘job’. However, many individuals choose to go beyond a job, to make a
career, working steadily on a chosen career path. Thus a ‘career’ is more
than just a job. One may distinguish between a job and a career by saying
‘job is an involvement in work for the sake of it’ whereas ‘a career is driven
by a deep desire to excel and a passionate need to grow, develop and prove
oneself within the chosen field of work’.
There have been changes in concepts about careers over the years.
It is no longer sufficient to get a job. It is very important to continually
upgrade and learn newer skills, update knowledge and build or enhance
competencies, in order to achieve success. Thus, in the modern world,
education should not stop in youth or early adulthood but needs to
continue into one’s middle career years and if necessary, into one’s later
career years.
How does one decide what career to pursue? Many children may choose
to follow in their parents’ footsteps. Others may select careers that differ
from their parents or what their parents might have planned for them.
One of the most important criteria for selecting an avenue is that one must
feel a sense of keen interest and desire for the chosen path. One of the
crucial aspects in making decisions about the choice of career is that one
must find enjoyment in the job, particularly when one assumes financial
responsibility for the family.
Work, Careers and Livelihoods
Work is a set of activities with an intended set of outcomes. Yet it is not

necessarily tied to paid employment, but may include entrepreneurship,
consulting, volunteerism, contract, social work for community welfare
and other professional activities. Livelihood denotes the means and
occupation by which a person supports oneself to meet basic needs, and
sustain one’s lifestyle. It involves choice of occupation and career path
and the design of a work lifestyle. On the other hand, careers are unique
to each person and are dynamic, unfolding throughout life. Career is a life
management concept. Growing in one’s career is a lifelong process that
involves managing roles, maintaining a balance between paid and unpaid
work, learning, personal life roles, and making transitions whenever or 5
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wherever necessary to move towards a personally determined future. The
Webster dictionary defines career as “a field for or pursuit of consecutive
progressive achievement especially in public, professional, or business life”

and work as “the labor, task, or duty that is one’s accustomed means of
livelihood/profession or occupation chosen as one’s life’s work”. Whatever
one chooses, in a holistic sense it should nourish body as well as mind and
benefit self as well as others.
The following anecdote
Work has several perspectives. By and large, illustrates the concepts
the popular connotations of work are:
discussed hitherto:
(i) Work as a job and livelihood: Here work Three men were breaking
is mainly a source of income enabling boulders with strong
desired outcomes; for instance, doing a hammers. When asked
job to support one’s family. The person what they were doing,
finds job satisfaction primarily from the first man answered,
the income earned.
“This is my job, I am
(ii) Work as a career: The person views breaking these rocks
his/her work as a path to progressively into smaller pieces”. The
ascend professionally in terms of second man said, “This
higher posts/positions, status, pay, is my livelihood. I break
and responsibility. A person who works
rocks to make a living in
for a career will dedicate considerable
order to feed my family”.
amounts of time and energy to the
The third man said “I
work, because these are temporary
costs of future gain. Such a person have a vision, to become
gets job satisfaction from continuing a sculptor and therefore I
advancement and achievements. am carving a statue out of
this big stone”. The third
(iii) Work as a calling: Seeing work as a
man, visualised that
calling, a person derives satisfaction
each hammer blow would
from the work itself. The person
feels called to do the work based on contribute to the shaping
inner drives and the feeling that the of his career, while the
work derives from an inner or higher first and second men
direction. were clearly focused on
their job and livelihood.
Review Questions
zz What are the different ways in which work can be perceived?
zz Differentiate between job and career.
zz What is meant by meaningful work?
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Work, Rest and Recreation
Human beings work, as per choice, circumstances or necessity. The type

and amount of work are closely related to the work conditions. They

determine productivity and outcomes which are important aspects of
work life. To ensure better output and productivity, all human beings
perforce need to rest, relax, recoup from fatigue and refresh themselves.
Therefore, to ensure good quality of life and well being, it is important
to avail of opportunities (even make time) to rest, involve in recreational
and leisure activities. Leisure activities or recreational activities are those
activities that provide rest, pleasure, involvement, typically promoting
fun, enjoyment and well-being. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure,
including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays
with pay.
In order to guard against burnout, professionals (and students) should
take rest and relax, so that their productivity is not affected. One of the
most common and effective methods is to engage in some form of recreation.
Recreation is any activity that allows the body, mind and/or spirit to rest
and recover from hard work, which may be physical and/or mental.
In fact, the concept of ‘eight-hour day’ or ‘40-hour work week’,
originated in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial
production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long
hours and unregulated, poor working conditions. The use of child labour
was common and prolonged hours of work, ranging from 10 to 16 hours for
six days a week, prevailed. Thus, emerged the slogan “ Eight hours labour,
eight hours recreation and eight hours rest”.The eight-hour day movement
forms part of the early history leading to the celebration of Labour Day or
May Day in many nations and cultures.
Rest and recreation are essentially for relaxation from work; the brain
can stop thinking and worrying, the nerves and muscles are given a chance
to rest for some time and become energised. This can be accomplished
by changing the kind of work or activity one is doing. Activities that one
indulges in for relaxation should be restful, healthy and joyful.
Spending some quiet hours at home with the family is better than
the excitements and distractions of a club. A brisk walk will accomplish
more than spending time in worthless activities. Watching television
is one of the largest leisure or recreational activities; using computers,
playing computer and video games, reading, playing sports, listening to
music, watching films, gardening, swimming, singing, etc. are examples of
recreational activities. In short, it means one should engage in something
one enjoys, such as a hobby, a favourite sport or other pastime.
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Standards of Living and Quality of Life
People work in exchange for money. This is known as income. The money
is used to obtain the goods and services required to survive. The more
money one earns, the larger is the contribution to the economic cycle of
the nation. This helps to improve the standard of living and betters the
quality of life.
’Standard of living’ generally refers to the wealth and level of comfort,
material goods and necessities available. It is the ease by which people
living in a time or place are able to satisfy their wants. Economic standard
of living concerns the physical circumstances in which people live, the
goods and services they are able to consume and the economic resources
they have access to. Basic necessities such as adequate food, clothing and
housing are fundamental to wellbeing.
Standard of living commonly refers to the following factors:
zz Income zz Social inequalities or

disparities
zz Qualityand availability of zz Poverty
employment
zz Costof goods and services zz Infrastructure
zz Gross Domestic Product zz Amount and hours of
(GDP) work required to purchase
necessities
zz National economic growth zz Affordable access to quality
healthcare
zz Quality and affordability of zz Life expectancy
housing
zz Number of paid vacation days zz Political and religious
per year freedom
zz Quality and availability of zz Environmental quality
education
zz Incidence of disease zz Safety
zz Economic and political zz Climate
stability
Standard of living is often used to compare different areas or countries

or to assess the progress of a country by comparing the standard of living
at different points of time.
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One measure of standard of living is the Human Development Index
(HDI), developed in 1990 by the United Nations. It considers life expectancy
at birth, adult literacy rates and per capita Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) to measure a country’s level of development.

GDP is the value of all goods and services produced within the
geographic boundaries of a nation/region within a specific period
of time (generally, a year). It is commonly used to measure national
income and output (economic output).
‘Quality of Life’ takes into account not only the material standard of living
but also other intangible aspects of human life such as leisure, safety,
cultural resources, social life, physical health, environmental quality, etc.
The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in
1948, has provided a list of factors that can be considered. It includes
many things that citizens of many developed countries take for granted,
but are not available in a significant number of countries around the world.
Although this declaration is more than 68 years old, in many ways it still
represents an ideal to be achieved.
Factors that may be used to measure quality of life include the following:
zz Freedom from slavery and torture
zz Equal protection of the law
zz Freedom from discrimination
zz Freedom of movement
zz Freedom of residence within one’s home country
zz Presumption of innocence unless proven guilty
zz Right to marry
zz Right to have a family
zz Right to be treated equally without regard to gender, race, language,
religion, political beliefs, nationality, socioeconomic status and more.
zz Right to privacy
zz Freedom of thought
zz Freedom of religion
zz Free choice of employment
zz Right to fair pay
zz Equal pay for equal work
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zz Right to vote
zz Right to rest and leisure
zz Right to education
zz Right to human dignity
The two indicators, i.e. standard of living and quality of life, help us get a
general picture of what life is like in a particular location at a particular
time.
A higher standard of living means a higher quality and quantity of
goods and services available to individuals and to society, contributing
to material well-being. The gross domestic product per person (GDP per
capita) is often used as a measure of the standard of living. An increase in
GDP is associated with greater material well-being and thus with a higher
standard of living.
The right to an adequate standard of living is enshrined in Article 25
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Everyone has the right
to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself
and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care
and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of
unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of
livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Adequate for health and
well-being means adequate food, clothing and housing. Motherhood and
childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether
born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection”.
It is a fact of life that ‘all people are not equally endowed’ due to several
reasons. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of those persons who have
more ‘advantages’ to help those who are ‘disadvantaged’. It is estimated
that about one third of the world’s poor are in India.
What is poverty line? It is the minimum level of income deemed
necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country to
cover necessities such as food, clothing, housing. If the family income is
below the figure specified, it is termed a ‘BPL family’ (Below Poverty Line
family). The poverty line changes over time and varies by region and is
defined differently by different governments and institutions.
Development is the key to reducing poverty. However, the pace of
development of a nation or a group depends on the productivity and success
of all its members. Hence, in this context, it is important to realise that all
members of society should make conscientious and concerted efforts to
help the disadvantaged to have a better life. It is often said that one should
give back to society what one receives and gains from it.
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Review Questions
Explain briefly the following terms:

(a) Standard of Living (b) Quality of Life
Social Responsibility, Volunteerism, Shramdaan
Social responsibility was viewed in the past by some people as the prerogative
of visionaries and missionaries who believed they could make a difference
to the lives of people who did not have adequate resources. However, in
the modern day, this approach has become essentially a ‘welfare model’ for
helping the disadvantaged groups in society. A mature outlook, genuine
liking for people, concern for their welfare, patience, no prejudices about
class, culture, religion or race make up a social worker’s personality. The
ability to work in difficult conditions, accepting and tolerating problems,
is required of social workers. Majority of those engaged in social work are
dedicated, conscientious people.
Social responsibility entails actions and procedures, particularly on
the part of governments, institutions and corporates, to help individuals
in need and to promote total well-being of the society. These efforts may
address several needs such as improving the economic situation of people
in need, education, sanitation, agriculture, and many other aspects of
their lives including physical and mental health, care of the elderly and
differently abled. Social responsibility is about how people, communities
and institutions in a society take action to provide certain minimum
standards and certain opportunities.
Volunteering is the practice when a person works for others without
any motive of getting financial or material gain. Here volunteerism can be
described as contributing one’s time, talents, skills, energy, for charitable,
educational, social, political, or other worthwhile purposes. It is generally
altruistic and is undertaken to promote quality of life. Volunteering has a
meaningful, positive impact on your community. Sometimes volunteering
can help to gain skills. Volunteering takes many forms and is performed
by a wide range of people. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the
areas they work in, such as medicine, education, disaster relief and other
natural and man-made calamities.
When students volunteer in areas in which they are specifically trained
and have skills such as nursing, early childhood education, care of the
elderly etc., it is spoken of as skills-based volunteering. Other areas for 11
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volunteering include environmental volunteering. Volunteers can conduct
a range of activities that contribute towards environmental management
including environmental monitoring, ecological restoration such as

re-vegetation and weed removal, and educating others about the natural
environment. eVolunteering is a modern trend. It is also known as virtual
volunteering, online volunteering or cyber service and teletutoring. For
this, the volunteer helps with selected tasks, in whole or in part, using the
computer and Internet.
Shramdaan, Seva, Kar Seva
Every human being seeks satisfaction and fulfillment in life. In this search,
many think beyond monetary considerations and involve themselves in
activities that are in the interest of less endowed or marginalised people
or even to preserve nature. Thus, the need for a balance between the two
attributes – the spiritual and the material–is indeed the essence of human
happiness and dharma. Seva or service to others has been undertaken
by innumerable persons for this purpose. It is believed that seva helps to
relax the mind and makes one less self-centred. Social service and selfless
activity also help to enhance creativity and innovation. One refreshes not
only one’s mind, but also one’s whole personality. The concept of equity
and justice is an integral component of human life and Indian culture.
Mahatama Gandhi, the Father of our nation, is globally reputed as a leader
who understood and practised this.
Shramdaan has been practised by Indians, wherein ‘shram’ denotes
effort and ‘daan’ means donation. In India, there are innumerable examples
of individuals, groups and organisations that work towards ‘doing good to
others’. This effort serves dual purposes: it helps the person to understand
his/her own nature better and assists in fostering a sense of self-worth
and also leads to individual transformation and empowerment. Kar Seva
is another type of shram daan where the ‘Sevaks’ volunteer free services
for a religious cause. It originates from the Sanskrit words ‘kar’ meaning
hand and ‘sevak’ meaning helper. You may have heard of the ‘kar seva’/
voluntary service offered at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
At the societal level there is collective upliftment and joint efforts to solve
any problem ranging from road building, improving sanitary conditions,
water conservation, economic benefits as well to working for the cause
of alleviating oppression of gender, class or caste. This is born out of the
philosophy of equality of human beings, dignity of labour and the concept
of people capable of helping themselves. In the past in India, communities
joined hands to undertake welfare activities for the community as a mark of
their contribution to the land that sustained them. This was also supported
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by the principle that every person has a purpose and unique talent to give
to others, the blend of which leads to an offering of service to others. It is
also believed that service and shramdaan are good ‘stress-busters’. Thus
a triad of spiritual belief in duty to oneself and others coupled with yogic

way of life and service and seva are vital for coping with the mental and
physical demands of daily life and work pressure.
Individuals involved in helping professions, social work, social
responsibility initiatives and activities are committed to the dignity, worth,
and value of all human beings, regardless of social class, race, colour,
creed, gender or age.
In recent times, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is being
increasingly integrated into business by large companies with a view
to sharing their profits with society. Corporate leaders and companies
take responsibility for the impact of their activities on the consumers,
employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public
and the environment. Current approaches in CSR include community-
based development projects such as early childhood education, enriching
school education for children, skill training for adults, reduction and
prevention of malnutrition, morbidity and mortality, health promotion in
rural and tribal areas, adult education programmes, non-formal education,
providing income generation activities and market channels, promoting
region-specific eco-friendly practices, water conservation, environmental
sanitation, providing R&D support and promotion of natural fibres,
textiles, eco-friendly dyes, embroideries, other crafts. The practice of
CSR has come to stay and indicates that this trend will grow and become
stronger. This creates opportunties for persons with interests and aptitude
in social services and community welfare, sustainable development and
environment management.
Activity 1
Field visit: Organise field visits to at least three NGOs who are
involved in different types of voluntary efforts. Encourage the
students to write reports on the objectives and activities of the NGO,
the type and coverage of participants in the services rendered, the
students’ reflections and comments.
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Activity 2
Form groups of students, each group having not more than 6-8
members. Students should be encouraged to access internet and
study one of the following.:
a) NGO interventions at the national level.
b) NGO interventions at the international level.
c) Government of India /State Government/Municipal initiatives.
d) Corporate Initiatives /Corporate Social Responsibility.
Direct each group to discuss success stories.
Discussion points
zz Sharing of information regarding objectives and activities.
zz Outreach activities that are currently done and those that could
be done.
zz Scope of future interventions by the NGOs.
zz How the younger generation can be involved in voluntary efforts.
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Traditional Occupations of India
India is one of the richest

countries as far as art and culture
are concerned. Few countries in
the world have such an ancient
and diverse culture as does this
country. Despite diversity, there
has been cultural and social
cohesiveness of an enduring
nature. Over the years, the
stability of this culture has been
maintained more through the social and cultural practices, though there
have been some disruptions through foreign invasions and upheavals.
Agriculture has been one of the major occupations for a large proportion
of the population because the climatic conditions in most parts of India
are suitable for agricultural activities. Since almost 70 per cent of the
population lives in rural areas, farming is the largest source of employment
for millions of people. A considerable proportion of them are involved in
farming small plots of land, many of which may not even be owned by
them leading to only marginal production of crops. Such poor yield may
not be even sufficient for family consumption, leave alone permitting sale
of produce for profit. In most parts of the country, some farmers produce
cash crops for sale in urban markets, and in some areas, crops such as tea,
coffee, cardamom and rubber are of great economic importance because
they bring in foreign exchange. India is the largest producer of cashew nut,
coconut, milk, ginger, turmeric and black pepper in the world. It is the one
of the largest producers of fruits and vegetables, spices and condiments
and tea. Yet another important traditional occupation has been fishing
because of the country’s very long coastline.
Handicrafts have been one of the traditional occupations in Indian
villages, and today many Indian arts and crafts are very popular in the
international market and have become a means of livelihood for the rural
folk. Some examples of crafts are wood craft, pottery, metal craft, jewellery
making, ivory craft, comb craft, glass and paper craft, embroidery, weaving,
dyeing and printing, shell craft, sculpture, terracotta, sholapitha craft,
dhurries, rugs and carpets, clay and iron items, etc. Weaving is a cottage
industry in India. Each state has typical woven fabrics, embroideries and
traditional costumes which are suitable for the region-specific climate
and life style. Different regions in India are famous for different types
of weaving. Indian hand-woven fabrics have won acclaim for centuries.
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In the past many of these were made for daily use and others for decorative
purposes. These occupations and many others are reflective of the base of
the socio-economic culture. However, the modern economy has catapulted

such craft items into the global market, earning the country considerable
foreign exchange.

Shola craft of Odisha Channapatna dolls of Stone Sculpture
Karnataka
Traditionally, the processes, techniques and skills of the crafting and

manufacturing were handed from one generation to the next, to members
within the family. The transfer of this indigenous knowledge and training
thereof, was primarily home-based training, and the know-how and finer
nuances were tightly guarded secrets within closed groups in a given
occupation. In India, the dynamics of religion, caste and occupation
have been tightly interwoven, coupled with hierarchical order of clusters
within the social fabric of the country. There are hundreds of different
traditional occupations, for example, hunting and trapping birds and
animals, gathering and selling foreign produce, garland making, salt
making, tapping of neera or palm sap juice, mining, brick and tile making.
Other inter-generational traditional occupations include priests, sweepers,
scavengers, leather workers, etc.
Like weaving, embroidery and the visual arts, each region of India
has a typical cuisine, comprising a vast variety of local foods cooked with
indigenous ingredients and spices. India is well known for its tasty, tongue-
tickling cuisine which has emerged as a source of livelihood for innumerable
persons, ranging from street food vendors to speciality restaurants and
theme pavilions in 5-star hotels. Many popular traditional foods and spice
mixes and masalas are in demand in other countries.
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Embroidery and Textiles of India
India has a multiplicity of visual arts that have been in practice for over
four thousand years. Historically, the artists and artisans were supported
by two main categories of patrons: the larger Hindu temples and the
princely rulers of various states. The main visual arts arose in the context
of religious worship. Distinctive regional styles of architecture are seen in
different parts of India, reflecting various religions namely Islam, Sikhism,
Jainism, Christianity and Hinduism, which typically co-existed across the
country. Therefore in different places of worship and mausoleums (burial
chambers), palaces, etc. a great variety of images skilfully carved in stone,
or cast in bronze or silver, or modeled in terra-cotta or wood or colourfully
painted were commonly prevalent, most of which have been preserved in
India’s vast heritage. In the modern scenario, these arts are preserved and
promoted through the efforts of government and several non-governmental
organisations, providing occupational avenues including entrepreneurship.

Warli Painting of Maharashtra Puppetry Craft
Despite the rich heritage of traditional occupations, in the modern

context, these works of art are gradually losing out to mass–produced
goods, leaving the artisans with meager sources of income on the one
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hand and a gradual erosion of the aesthetic appreciation of fine arts on
the other. Illiteracy, general socio-economic backwardness, slow progress
in implementing land reforms and inadequate or inefficient finance and

marketing services are major constraints that cause this trend. Shrinkage of
forests, depletion of resource base and general environmental degradation
are responsible for various problems faced in this context.
Coconut craft of Kerala Bamboo craft of Assam
These are tremendous challenges and indicate an urgent need for the
revival and sustaining of the indigenous knowledge, know-how and skills
which are fast losing ground. Some of the areas where interventions are
required are design innovations, preservation and refinement strategies,
use of eco-friendly raw materials, packaging, establishment of training
facilities, conservation of traditional knowledge and protection of
intellectual property rights (IPR). It is important for the modern youth and
communities to be aware of the tremendous scope and potential for career
avenues for individuals. In addition, such efforts and initiatives will go a
long way to enhance the income generation potential of the rural folk. It is
worthy to note that the Government of India is making concerted efforts in
this direction. The need of the hour and the challenge confronting Indian
society is to maintain the diversity without the hierarchy or caste-based
work divisions in the democratic milieu.
Activity 3
Visits to local artisans can be arranged by the school. This may be
followed by students preparing resource file on the local traditional
arts, crafts, cuisines.
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Activity 4
An exhibition may be organised to showcase the local traditional arts
and crafts.

Work, Age and Gender
The age and sex of members of any workforce influence the dynamics of
personal and professional lives, both from the perspective of the individual
(micro perspective) and also that of society and nation(macro perspective).
The health and development of children and women is at stake when
they are forced into labour that is not suitable to their physiological and
psychological state. These segments of the population as well as the elder
population need attention from several perspectives. Let us briefly discuss
the challenges facing these three groups.
Gender Issues in Relation to Work
Nature distinguishes the two sexes clearly in most forms of life, with
biological and functional differences being well established. Human
beings generally differentiate between the two sexes, i.e. men and women.
However, lately India’s Supreme Court has recognised transgender people
as a third gender who are also refered to as transsexual, cross dressers etc.
The differences between men and women range from biological to socio-
cultural. The terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ indicate the differentiations from the
biological to the social and cultural perspectives. The term sex and gender
are often used interchangeably, but strictly speaking they have different
biological meanings. Sex refers to the bilogical categorisation based on
genetics, reproductive organs or similar things, whereas, gender is based
on social identity. Male denotes boys and men whereas female denotes
girls and women. The external manifestation of sex is through the primary
sexual organs or the genitals. This difference is due to XX and XY or some
other chromosome combinations. In every society, the social and cultural
practices determine how various genders are expected to behave and the
type of work they do, thus constructing the identity of individual’s right
from an early age which slowly continues to impact all throughout their
growth and development. The members of any society or community are
expected to perform their roles in particular ways as demanded by social
and cultural traditions thereby creating and establishing norms of gender
role identity. Over a period of time, these norms and practices become
stereotyped and then it is considered the normal and expected behaviour
from each one of its members. Although these norms and practices are 19
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not written down and there is no rule book for these, they are generally
passed on from one generation to another and continue to be practised.
Therefore, it is said that Gender is socially constructed.

Any deviation from that normal and expected becomes unconventional,
non-traditional and sometimes even defiant. However, with time roles
and behaviours are evolving, resulting in ‘continuity with change’. It can
be seen that the age old assigned roles as bread winner for men and as
home maker for women are in transition. However, in India, women
have all along been engaged in production and in some societies even in
marketing. In rural India, women are intensively and extensively involved
in agriculture and animal husbandry. In urban areas, women are involved
in construction activities or are employed as domestic labour. All these are
working women and have been contributing to the income of the family in
one way or the other. In many families, women are the sole bread-earners.
Despite their active participation in earning and contributing to the
family resources, freedom to make decisions and vogue to independence
are denied to women. Women therefore continue to remain powerless. The
need of the hour is to educate and empower women and give them their
rightful voice and place in society.
Women cannot be empowered until the work they do at home is
valued and is considered equivalent to paid work. The work performed
by women as homemakers has rarely been valued or even counted as
an economic activity. However, there is a saying ‘money saved is money
earned’. The household chores and the domestic work that women do to
support the family, in all stages of their life as mother, sister, daughter,
wife and grandmother, demands energy throughout their lifetime. Such
contributions help other members of the family to perform their roles and
duties more efficiently. Therefore, domestic work done by women needs to
be valued as an economic contribution and productive activity.
Women’s participation in the workforce outside the home has helped
emancipate the woman as well as improve the family’s resources. Women
have started participating in each sector of the economy, many of them
occupying senior positions. However, this has placed a double burden
on women, since they are still expected to perform most or all of their
household chores and be the primary caregivers.
Issues and Concerns Related to Women and Work
Opportunities of participation by women in the labour market have declined

and they have been marginalised due to the need for skilled workers.
Therefore, to safeguard the interests of women, training facilities to develop
20 skills need to be increased. Primary earning members are considered to be
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men and women’s earnings are considered supplementary and secondary,
and even if they are sole bread earners, they do not have a similar standing
in the market. Some of the other issues concerning women in modern India
are stress and adverse effects on health, security and safety at work places

without gender discrimination, maternity benefits and social support for
child care.
Constitutional Rights, Acts and The State Initiatives: It is important to
note that the Constitution of India guarantees equality to both men and
women in all walks of life, including guaranteeing equal opportunity for
all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office
under the State and forbids discrimination in respect of any employment or
office on grounds of caste, creed, colour, race or sex. It also stipulates that
women workers be provided just and humane conditions of work and be
protected from any kind of exploitation, and be supported and encouraged
in their educational and economic pursuits. The Indian Constitution also
empowers the State to make special provisions for women and children.
Also, there are Acts which safeguard Constitutional rights of women such
as the Factories Act of 1948, the Plantation Labour Act of 1951, the Mines
Act of 1952, etc. which provide protection to women in various industrial
sectors, Employees State Insurance Act (ESI Act) and the Maternity Benefit
Act, 1961.
Article 16 (1) of the Constitution of India guarantees equality of

opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment and
appointment to any office under the state.
Besides this, Section 48 of the Factories Act states that creches should
be maintained if more than 30 women are employed in an industry or
factory. Children below six years should be looked after in these crèches
which will be maintained by the industry itself. Many state initiatives were
taken to improve the condition of women in employment and in need of
employment. Women’s cells were created in the Ministry of Labour to look
at the problems of women workers. The Equal Remuneration Act for equal
wages for the same work or work of a similar nature also came into force. A
National Plan of Action (NPA) for women was taken up by the Department
of Social Welfare to implement the Equal Remuneration Act. A working
group on women’s employment was also constituted by the Planning
Commission for enhancing the employment opportunities for women
belonging to rural areas and to review the labour laws on women’s work
and their participation in economic and productive activities. A steering
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committee to build the data base on women’s work, particularly in the
rural areas, was also formed by the Planning Commission.
Over the years there has been a paradigm shift in the ways women’s
programmes have been initiated. During the earlier decades the programmes
for women were based on the welfare approach, slowly it moved to equality
of opportunity and then finally to development approach. It was realised
that until women’s development programmes are in full swing benefits
cannot be reaped as women are part of human resource. Although in
some sectors women have been achievers, economically and financially
they have to march long roads to achieve equal partnership with men. The
mindset has to be modern. The attitude and approach have to change to
ensure dramatic transformation in the way gender issues related to work
are approached in the society.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV): KGBV was initiated as
a scheme of Government of India under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA).
Currently, it is subsumed under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan, an overarching
scheme and the umbrella programme of Government of India for the school
education. KGBV started as a scheme for bringing never-enrolled and
dropout girls from rural, remote and disadvantaged sections of the society
into school education till elementary level in residential schools. The scheme
now has been extended till Class XII to ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education at all levels of school education. All the girls enrolled
in KGBVs study the Bridge Course for preparing them for the entry level.
The entry level in KGBVs for these girls is Class VI. The KGBVs have been
opened in backward blocks of each district. This scheme also helps in the
implementation of ‘Right to Education Act’ (RTE) of the Government of India.
Woman Entrepreneur
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (a Biotechnologist), the Chairperson and
Managing Director of Biocon India Ltd., is an eminent woman
entrepreneur. She started her professional career as a trainee brewer
in Carlton & United Beverages and in 1978 formed her own company,
Biocon India Ltd. Under her leadership, Biocon has transformed
to an integrated biopharmaceutical company with strategic
research initiatives. Today Biocon is India’s pioneering enterprise.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw received many prestigious awards
such as ET Business Woman of the Year, Leading Exporter,
Technology Pioneer and Best Woman Entrepreneur. In 1989 she
was honoured with Padmashri and in 2005 with Padma Bhushan. She
continues to be a model entrepreneur and a successful technocrat of
global understanding.
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Review Questions
zz What do you understand by the terms gender and sex?

zz Who are home makers? What is their contribution in the economy
of the family?
zz How will the women get recognition in the family and the society?
zz How are women guaranteed equality in India?
zz What are the government initiatives in favour of women?
Activity 5
Find out about organisations or
Activity 6
individuals in your region who
are helping women to become Collect information on
empowered and self-reliant. women in your region
Make a scrap book and display who have contributed
for the entire school. significantly to society.
Activity 7
Prepare a power point presentation (with the help of teachers) of
distinguished women in Science, Technology, Mathematics, Sports,
Education, Literature, Medicine and other important areas.
Organised Efforts for Empowerment of Women

Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad is an organisation of, by and
for women. Its objective is to provide employment to women to enable
them to earn a decent and dignified livelihood. This society was
started in 1959 with 7 members and in 1966 it was registered under
the Bombay Public Trust and Societies Registration Act. During this
period it also got recognition from Khadi and Village Industries (KVIC)
as a ‘village industry’. Later Lijjat was also awarded ‘Best Village
Industry’. Today their products include Khakhra, masala, wadi,
detergent powder, chapattis, cakes and other bakery products. The
society gives self employment to about 45,000 members all over India
with the sales turnover of ` 1,600 crores annually including export
to many countries, paving the way for women to become self-reliant. 23
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Child Labour and Children’s Work
In the global scenario, in all cultures children do a variety of work, although

the type of work and work conditions differ. Such work takes place along
a continuum. It ranges from work that is beneficial for enhancing a child’s
development without compromising on the child’s education, schooling,
recreation and rest. Such work is generally ‘light’, undertaken before or
after school hours, such as helping in farm work, in family business or
light household errands. At the other extreme is the work that children are
compelled to do under exploitative and often harmful conditions, wherein
their holistic development is hampered, opportunities for education denied
and are hazardous to the physical and mental health of the child.
The term ‘child labour’ generally refers to any economic activity performed
by a person under the age of 15 years, as defined by the International
Labour Organisation (ILO) of the United Nations. Child labour is a matter
of global concern. Governments and international agencies have passed
age regulations for work, which differ across the world. For example the
legal minimum age for all work in Egypt is 12 years, in the Philippines
and India it is 14 years and in Hong Kong, 15 years. ILO conventions
allows light work at age 12 or 13, but hazardous work not before 18 years.
The ILO has established a general minimum age of 15 years in countries
where compulsory schooling is completed by 15 years. This is the most
widely used yardstick when establishing how many children are currently
working around the world. The World Bank projects that over 40 million
children are employed. In India alone, more than 15 million children in
the age group of 5 to 14 years are involved in various types of work, both
remunerative and non-remunerative, including domestic work.
Not only is the age a matter of concern, but the type of work and work
conditions are important considerations. Internationally, experts have
identified hazards that include working with unsafe machinery, hazardous
substances (like insecticides, herbicides), heavy lifting and extreme
temperatures. In deep-sea fishing, children are made to dive to depths
of up to 60 metres to attach nets to coral reefs, risking exposure to high
pressure and attacks by carnivorous and poisonous fish. Children may
be involved in manufacture of glass bangles, matches, fireworks or bricks
where they may be exposed to noxious fumes and radiant heat from the
molten substances. Stepping on or handling hot broken glass; exposure
to hazardous chemical mixtures; stuffing cracker powder into fireworks,
risking fire and explosion; exposure to silicate, lead and carbon monoxide;
carrying excessive weights; and burns from ovens through the processing
of clay in the making of bricks are all hazardous. In the Child Labour Act
of our country, more than 50 professions that are hazardous for children
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have been listed. This includes domestic work in homes and working in
the hospitality sector, specifically in hotels and restaurants.
It is not uncommon in many homes in India to hire young girls as

domestic workers. Their education, health as well as physical and emotional
well being are likely to be neglected and jeopardised. As citizens of this
country and from the perspective of human rights, it becomes our duty
to help in stopping such practices. Communities need to be sensitised
towards the issues of child labour, harassment of domestic workers. We
must be prepared to help the girl child, and her immediate family, to
pursue her school education as well as to equip her with life skills and
other skills for self reliance.
Several reasons at societal and family levels push children into work.
They include poverty and family debts, rural-urban migration of the
families, dropout from school, domestic abuse, loss of parents, attraction
towards the world of “glamour”, truancy, among many others.
Two UN agencies have directed their attention to the prevention of child
labour worldwide: the United Nations International Children’s Emergency
Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). They have
helped define the problems and develop international legal frameworks to
correct them. As a result of their work, we now have several international
treaties (or conventions) banning child labour and identifying concrete legal
measures for governments to take. There are about 20 such international
treaties against child labour. Once a country ratifies a convention, UN
bodies monitor compliance and hold countries accountable for violations.
The need of the hour is strong enforcement at the national level. Among
other things, governments are expected to:
1. introduce action programmes to remove and prevent the worst forms
of child labour;
2. provide direct assistance for the rehabilitation of children and their
social integration;
3. ensure access to free education;
4. identify children at special risk;
5. take account of girls and their special situation.
Governments must also report regularly to the ILO regarding the
application of the Conventions and be accountable for all allegations of
violations.
The strategies employed in different nations range from policy and legal
provisions made by the government to non governmental and voluntary
efforts by groups and individuals, many of them involving youth and
25
students in the advocacy initiatives.
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Students have been involved in raising funds to build schools and
treatment centres for child workers. For example, Free the Children, is
a Canadian-based student organisation formed by Craig Kielberger a

13-year old student. This organisation has raised funds to build schools
in South Asia (http://www.freethechildren.org). Many corporate bodies
have become aware and are consciously making efforts to eliminate child
labour.
Activity 8
Find out if the Government of India has ratified the conventions
concerning child labour (A status of countries and their actions
concerning Convention No. 182 is available at http://www.
globalmarch.org/convention-campaign/index.html).
Activity 9 Activity 10
Identify hazardous occupations Identify local initiatives or
in which children in India are campaigns to prevent child
involved. labour.
Review Questions
1. What do you understand by child labour?
2. Describe the life and plight of any child whom you have seen
working as a domestic labourer or as a worker in a dhaba or a
small restaurant.
Work and the Elderly

All over the world, ‘old age’ is signified by chronological age. By and large,
particularly in India, 60 years is considered to be the criterion to categorise
adults as ‘older adults’ or ‘senior citizens’. At this juncture, it is important
to note that ‘old’ may be considered derogatory and therefore terms like
‘senior citizen’, ‘elderly’, ‘aged’ are to be preferentially used. For working
26 people (men and women) the significant indicator of old age is retirement
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from active work. In general, society views ageing with fear and reluctance.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that older persons should retire from
active work. Other misconceptions are evident with some employers, some
of which are : the aged cannot be trained in new processes or technology,

they are not as efficient or as productive as younger workers, they get
sick and are absent more often than younger workers, and they are
comparatively more rigid than younger adults.
In fact, just chronological age does not signify inability to work further.
Advances in medical and health care and technological developments have
not only enhanced longevity but also help persons to remain physically
healthy, mentally alert and capable of productive work.
Many senior citizens would like to continue working beyond the
traditional retirement age for several reasons such as:
zz Enjoyment in work.
zz Gives them self-esteem and self-respect.
zz Allows them to make meaningful contribution to society.
zz Life of leisure and recreation alone is not satisfactory to some.
zz For some it may be an economic necessity (While there are a number
of individuals who can retire but choose not to, there are also a vast
number of individuals who want to retire but cannot afford to).
zz The desire to remain independent.
There are innumerable senior citizens who are healthy, active and
mentally alert and are contributing immensely in different ways. It has
been observed that older workers can indeed be trained to perform new
tasks and it is useful to employ older workers for one or more of the
following reasons:
zz They are experienced and dependable.
zz They introduce different forms of style and motivation compared to
their younger coworkers.
zz Many older workers may accept compensation in kind or perks rather
than salary or financial incentives.
zz They are less likely to leave and move on to other jobs very easily.
zz They are less likely to indulge in irresponsible absenteeism.
A counter argument sometimes offered for continuance of elderly in
the work force is that the succeeding generation will be crowded out of
the labor market by elderly workers because there is excess supply over
demand. Further, it is sometimes felt that they may ‘block’ promotional
opportunities for younger coworkers because some will presumably
remain with the same employers and in the same positions. Though it
may be true to a small extent, in reality, it is worthwhile to engage the 27
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seniors productively not only because they provide continuity but also in
specialised fields, their depth of knowledge, experience and wisdom can
have a significant and positive impact. In addition, some employers have

found that senior workers tend to offer a ‘calming effect’ on the younger
employees.
The older population faces several problems ranging from absence of
assured and sufficient income to support themselves and their dependents,
ill health, loss of social role and recognition and non-availability of
opportunities for creative use of free time. As people live longer and into
much advanced age (say 75 years and over), they need more intensive and
long term care, which in turn may increase financial stress on the family.
Traditionally, Indian families respected and provided care for the
elderly. Thus older members of the family were normally taken care of in
the family itself. The traditional joint family system and social networks
provided an appropriate environment in which the elderly spent their lives.
In spite of several economic and social problems, the younger generation
generally looked after their elderly relatives. However, in the modern world,
industrialisation, urbanisation, migration for educational and occupational
opportunities as well as growth of individualistic philosophy have resulted
in a decline of care of elders by the younger family members. Though
the young generation takes care of their elders, living conditions and the
quality of life of the elderly differ widely. All of these give rise to a sense of
powerlessness, helplessness and low self-esteem. Women, especially those
widowed and living alone, are found to be the worst off among the poor
and vulnerable.
Therefore, it is essential to address the needs of the elderly. On the one
hand, there is a need for changing views about the elderly in society; on
the other, it is crucial to provide better care facilities and services, enabling
both generations to adapt to changes arising from ageing. In response to
these problems, the Government of India formulated the National Policy
on ageing in 1999. The Central Government implemented the National Old
Age Pension (NOAP) scheme which provides for a pension every month
to old people living in conditions of destitution. The NOAP scheme is in
operation all over India and reports indicate that the most vulnerable
sections of Indian society have benefitted from this scheme. In addition
State Governments have introduced schemes for old age pension although
the criterion of eligibility and the amount of pension given differ from State
to State.
For older persons, life can become meaningful when they have a purpose
and satisfying relationships. Working offers unparalleled opportunities
to stretch talents, serve others, and engage in meaningful relationships
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with people of all ages and cultures. Outside the home, the workplace
is typically most people’s primary community. Given these benefits, it is
crucial to engage senior citizens in meaningful work to the extent possible.
This emphasises the numerous opportunities for youth to work with and

for senior citizens, in various spheres. These are generally referred to as
‘intergenerational interactions and activities’, which have been found to
be beneficial to both generations. The programmes that are implemented
should focus on making senior citizens active and empowered individuals
with self-esteem and a positive self-image.
Attitudes and Approaches to Work,

Life Skills and Quality of Work Life
Attitudes and Approaches to Work
The attitude towards work is not only about the work / job itself. It is also
about how any individual perceives ones’ own work situation, handles the
circumstances and demands of the job and the various tasks entailed. An
individual’s experience of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction is considerably
influenced by their attitude, rather than being determined entirely by the job
per se. Further, an individual’s perception can be affected by comparisons
they may make. For instance, if a person compares only the salary
s/he receives with that of another, without taking into account the work
responsibilities, the qualifications required, the work output, sincerity
and dedication of the other person, there is scope for dissatisfaction. On
the other hand, under realistic scrutiny of all aspects (both positive and
negative) of one’s own job, the possibility of satisfaction and happiness is
greater. Most people spend a considerable proportion of time everyday at
work. Therefore, the importance of work routines being established along
with good health practices such as eating healthy, balanced diets, sleeping
well and using leisure time proactively should be emphasised. But often,
some people perceive work as something they have to ‘do somehow or
anyhow’ and therefore are unable to enjoy or even think of enjoying the
work. However, when a person perceives his/her ‘work’ as a source of
energy, fulfillment and learning, job satisfaction is ensured.
On the other hand, some persons enjoy their jobs, look forward to
challenges, handle difficult tasks with a positive outlook and this makes
them feel good about their jobs. Similarly, opportunities for progress in
their career and to use their abilities, skills and knowledge contribute to
personal happiness and the ‘quality of working life’ of the organisation.
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Quality of Work Life
Quality of Work Life (QWL) of employees is considered important by

organisations. In this approach, the employees are considered to be ‘assets’
and it is believed that people perform better when they are satisfied with
their work conditions. It is generally accepted that satisfying employees’
social and psychological needs is as important as satisfying their economic
needs to help motivate them. It incorporates several perspectives which
are not only work-based factors such as job and career satisfaction,
satisfaction with pay and relationships with work colleagues, absence of
stress at work, and opportunities for participative decision making, balance
between work / career and home and general feelings of well-being.
All human beings like to survive and thrive in an environment that
encourages and motivates them to do all the good work that they are
capable of. Therefore, it is crucial to have a culture of creating happy and
healthy work environments, not only in the physical and social sense but
also in the deeper psychological / mental and emotional aspects. A healthy
work environment is a positive work environment. Such an environment
can be created by focusing on:
zz Paying adequate attention to the individual employee’s needs and
expectations in addition to organisational needs
zz Building a positive work climate
zz Motivating individuals
zz Being fair and treating people equally
zz Ensuring and facilitating technical competence
zz Providing an attractive and safe work environment
zz Making the job interesting and challenging
zz Matching the person to the task
zz Delegating wherever necessary
zz Fostering team spirit and team responsibility
zz Developing employees through training, building confidence,
feedback, encouragement and praise, support, positive reinforcement
and involvement
zz Empowering employees, giving them authority wherever appropriate
zz Sustained opportunities for self-development
All of this can help the employer to boost the morale of those involved
in the organisation/ work place. In short, any wise employer / manager
recognises that people are assets and are the ultimate valuable resource.
Hence creating an environment where employees feel a sense of loyalty to
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the organisation and organisational development is as important as self
development.
It is important not only to focus on the pay package but also to look at

the entire life holistically. It is not how much you make that matters. What
is important is whether or not you are able to live your life in a happy way.
Look at your life as a whole. Think about your free time, your family, your
friends, etc. This will help you to reach retirement age without remorse
and regret about why you did not spend them on things that were more
important.
One of the prerequisites is to possess and hone certain life skills that
will help us to function effectively, with minimum stress and maximum
productivity in personal and professional lives.
Life Skills for Livelihood
Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable
individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday
life.
Why are life skills important? Life skills help people to deal with the
demands and challenges of everyday life. They are important because
they apply across the life span and promote and protect life, health and
well-being in all situations. According to the World Health Organisation,
life skills are thinking, coping, and social skills, which are abilities that
can enhance people’s interactions with others and with the environment,
and which may even give rise to greater individual resilience in situations
of adversity.
Ten core sets of skills have been identified by experts:
Self-awareness Empathy
Communication Interpersonal relationships
Decision making Problem solving
Creative thinking Critical thinking
Coping with emotions Coping with stress
Life skills are abilities that enable people to behave in healthy ways,
particularly in situations that challenge them. It is important to develop 31
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appropriate skills as indicated above, in order to prevent manifesting
unhealthy or negative behaviour. Appropriate and adequate knowledge,
attitudes and values enable one to develop healthy life skills, and prevent
negative health behaviour as indicated in the conceptual model below:
Knowledge Life Skills Psychosocial Positive Prevention

Attitudes Competence Health of Negative
Values & Behaviour Behaviour
Life skills enable people to act in ways that can contribute to personal
and social changes for the promotion of their own health and development,
as well as that of the communities in which they live. They are needed by
individuals to function effectively and constructively in society. They include
personal and social skills and help the person to function confidently and
competently in their families and in society. Life skills are competencies
and actual behaviours which cannot be taught in a classroom; rather
experiential learning helps people to acquire them.
Improving One’s Own Work Life
Improving work life in totality is crucial for the organisation. However,

it is more vital for each individual to consciously improve one’s work life
and thereby ensure job satisfaction and enhanced quality and quantity of
output. Quality of work life from the perspective of the employee/worker
is not so much about the job alone but also about how it is perceived by
him/her. Towards this it is important to look at one’s work as a source of
energy, fulfilment and learning. Some general tips in this context are given
herein:
zz Develop healthy personal habits. Take care of one’s body, mind and
spirit, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, by eating a wholesome diet,
taking adequate and appropriate exercise and getting enough sleep.
Such a lifestyle is helpful to face challenges and pressures at the
workplace.
zz Be empathetic and compassionate. Interacting with peers, subordinates
and supervisors is inevitable and calls for empathetic approach,
which in turn will yield positive outcomes.
zz All persons at work have to remember the interdependence on
each other, personally, professionally and psychologically. Positive
attitudes and behaviour and interactions with peers, subordinates
and supervisors will generate goodwill all round. People who help
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each other tend to experience greater satisfaction and reward and
help a person to fulfil her / his own needs. Good communication and
interpersonal skills are vital for successful completion of tasks and
career development.

zz It is important to maintain loyalty and commitment to the organisation
and to be professionally ethical at all times.
zz Encourage partnerships and work as a member of a team.
zz People who help each other in this way tend to experience greater
satisfaction and reward. Interactions with others should generate
results for mutual benefit. Work in collaboration with others,
respecting and recognising their contributions and achievements.
zz It is wise to be responsive to situations and not reactive. For example,
when faced with a reprimand at work by a senior, it is appropriate
to respond by examining the situation realistically and calmly,
rather than react with justifications and emotional outbursts. If
the reprimand is deserved, one should take corrective measures,
including apologising, if necessary.
zz Flexibility, adaptability and problem-solving attitude and skills are core
abilities essential in the work arena, whether you are self-employed
or working for others.
zz Be a good citizen and create a healthy community around you.
zz People who follow these tips tend to attract like-minded persons.
Together, they can often create a community of like-minded folks
who strive to get the job done while serving everybody’s needs. For
job satisfaction, be a good citizen within your organisation, recognise
others for their achievements and work in collaboration with others
to effect responsible change.
zz Learn from the lessons of life.
Job satisfaction is all about taking those day-to-day challenges,
pressures and upsetting situations and turning them into life lessons
that allow you to grow and move on as a better, more fulfilled person
and professional.
This balance between life and work is not easy to achieve but the ability
to positively adapt to societal and environmental change is essential. In
any occupation, core abilities/essential workplace skills are the basic
requirements. They cannot be taught as ‘academic lessons’ in schools or
colleges, but they are vital to enable persons to become competent, and
have to be acquired and honed as one develops as a person.
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Review Questions
1. Explain the terms:

(a) Quality of work life
(b) Life skills
2. What is meant by healthy work environment? How can it be
created?
Essential Soft Skills at Workplace
zz Working productively — The worker applies effective work habits

and attitudes in his/her job and tasks. This requires sufficient
knowledge, skills and expertise as well as experience. Productivity
is also influenced by enthusiasm, zeal and dynamism. Involvement
with the job and sense of belonging to the organisation are
important factors.
zz Learning effectively — Every individual requires some necessary
skills in reading, writing, and computing as well as skills
in acquiring information within the field, and ability to use
learning tools and strategies. Equally essential is the motivation
to work hard and update oneself to keep pace with advances/
developments in one’s field in order to be acclaimed/ renowned
in the field.
zz Communicating clearly — Apply appropriate writing, speaking,
and listening skills so that one can precisely convey information,
ideas, and opinions.
zz Working cooperatively — Every individual must work with others
to complete tasks, solve problems, resolve conflicts, provide
information, and offer support. Cultivate a sense of belonging to
the organisation
zz Thinking critically and creatively — Every successful person
applies the principles and strategies of analytical thinking,
critical evaluation, being innovative and creative.
zz Other skills required — Concentration, alertness, presence
of mind, tactfulness, empathy, soft skills, abilities to train, to
delegate and to get others to do their work, forethought and
vision, and the ability to multitask.
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Work, Ethics and Dignity of Labour
Work, whether a paid job or unpaid work in the home, as a caregiver, or in

a volunteer capacity, is fundamental to human nature. Every human being

is infinitely worthy; however, in modern times wealth is being given more
importance. Whatever the type of work done, or the position held, or financial
status, every person deserves respect. The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and
rights. Every individual, through his or her share of work, however big or
small, contributes to the betterment of the society.
Dignity of labour means that the person takes pride in whatever she/he
does. Abraham Lincoln was the son of a farmer and rose from a penniless
boy to become the President of the United States of America. Mahatma
Gandhi was a shining example of the dignity of labour. He did sweeping,
scavenging and cleaning in his ‘Ashram’ in Wardha. He never felt degraded
or insulted in doing the jobs that some people consider inferior or menial.
He used to clean his own toilet, to demonstrate the dignity of labour.
In this context, it is necessary to remember that whatever a person
does should be driven by values and ethics. Values and ethics provide
behavioural rules. Values are beliefs, preferences, or assumptions about
what is desirable or good for humans. Values affect how we practise. There
are six important values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of all
persons, importance of human relationships and integrity.
Ethics are a formal system or set of rules which are explicitly adopted
by a group of people, e.g., professional ethics, medical ethics. Ethics can
be defined as ‘the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or
the members of a profession’. Being ethical at all times, earns respect of
one’s colleagues or peers and encourages them also to be ethical. At the
workplace, values and ethics help to reduce waste of time and money and
simultaneously increase employee morale, confidence and productivity.
In all work settings, generic norms of ethics and dignity are applicable.
However, young workers/children and senior citizens as well as the female
workforce are special groups and their presence in the workplace has many
implications and ramifications in terms of their own quality of life as well
as the society at large.
Review Questions
zz What is meant by dignity of labour?
zz Explain briefly the role of values and ethics in professional life.
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Performance, Creativity and Innovation
Performance can be explained as accomplishment of a given task. Generally
performance is measured against standards of accuracy, completeness,

cost and speed. Performance of human beings is generally determined by
desire and motivation, ability and the capability to do the job. The work
environment, including the tools, materials, and information needed to do
the job, also influence our performance. The abilities to be resourceful,
creative and innovative are closely linked to good performance.
Creativity in individuals is influenced by motivation (your internal
motivation and passion to develop something new, different and original),
resources (your knowledge, expertise, access to information) and creative
thinking. Creative thinking skills are the capacity to think ‘out of the box’
and to innovately put existing ideas together in a new combination.
Resourcefulness is the ability to use available resources/ materials

‘wisely’, efficiently or ingeniously /creatively.
Creativity is the ability to change the usual and familiar to the
NEW, NOVEL, ORIGINAL
Innovation refers to ‘new ideas’ being effectively and successfully
put to use.
The outputs of creativity can be varied and may include an artistic

design, a musical composition, perhaps even a slogan, a better mousetrap,
a comfortable chair, a theory on aerodynamics, a medical discovery, a
faster way to cook, or a new weapon to destroy germs.
Creativity at work can be stimulated by one or more of the following:
zz Freedom in deciding work to do or how to do it
zz Challenge to work hard on important projects
zz Resources needed to do the work
zz Encouragement from good work models
zz Support from the work teams.
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Ways to Develop and Barriers to Creativity
Enhance Creativity

♦ First hand experiences ♦ Self discouragement
♦ Playing games ♦ Fear of failure
♦ Solving puzzles ♦ Fear of criticism
♦ Hobbies ♦ Distrusting one’s own cre-

ative potential
♦ Fine Arts
♦ Lack of perseverance
♦ Reading
♦ Poor observation
♦ Writing
♦ Being judgmental
♦ Brainstorming
♦ Passivity: it is easier to be
♦ Observing and sharpening
one of the crowd than the
one’s senses
ONLY ONE.
♦ Asking questions
♦ Restricitive home/school
♦ Thinking and imagining conditions.
Even ‘dreaming DREAMS’.
The human mind is like a parachute;

It works only when it is open.
Innovation implies to do something that is routine in a better and different

way. Thus, innovation may mean renewal or altering an existing product
or service. The prerequisite for innovation is the dissatisfaction with the
current status and a creative mind, working to improve and improvise. It
can also be explained as an existing idea for a laterally different purpose or
application. Whatever the innovation, it is generally 1 per cent innovation
to 99 per cent perspiration.
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Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction is a complex and multifaceted concept, which can mean

different things to different people. Job satisfaction is usually linked with
motivation, but the nature of this relationship is not clear. Satisfaction
is not the same as motivation. Job satisfaction is more an attitude, an
internal state associated with a personal feeling of achievement, either
quantitative or qualitative. In recent years attention to job satisfaction has
become more closely associated with broader approaches to improved job
design and work organisation, and the quality of working life movement.
Research on job satisfaction shows that those individuals who are
more satisfied in their jobs are self-confident, feel competent in work and
life. Jobs that offer recognition, variety in skills, give a sense of personal
identity, promote a sense of achievement, give a sense of responsibility,
freedom and independence of action and opportunities for advancement
are likely to give more satisfaction. Employers can promote job satisfaction
among their employees through recognition of their contribution, training
and feedback, encouraging positive relationships in the workplace. Further,
impressing upon the employees about the value they provide help them
to have a sense of mission, vision and passion for their work. Employers
need to recognise that the management style and culture, employee
involvement and empowerment influence job satisfaction. The benefits of
job satisfaction for the employer and the organisation are primarily better
performance and productivity, more output and lower absenteeism and
turnover of employees. For the employee, job satisfaction leads to a sense
of achievement, gives self-confidence and promotes health, well being and
life satisfaction.
Review Questions
1. How can creativity be enhanced?
2. Explain what you understand by the term innovation.
3. What is job satisfaction and why is it important?
Activity 11
Students to be acquainted with information on innovators (local,
national, international) and efforts that are being made at regional,
national, international fora/levels to encourage innovation.
[Suggestion: the electronic and print media, resource persons,
organisations, films, video clippings, etc., may be used].
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Productivity, Time Management and Multitasking
Productivity can be explained as the efficient use of resources, such as

labour (manpower), capital (money), land, energy, materials, information,

in the production of various goods and services. It is a measure of the
output in relation to per unit of input. For example, labour productivity
is typically measured as a ratio of output per working hour which is
an input. In fact, it implies more effective use of human and capital
resources. Productivity can be considered as a comprehensive measure
of how organisations manage to meet two attributes; a) efficiency i.e., how
effectively resources are utilised for useful output; and b) effectiveness i.e.,
what is achieved compared to what is possible/feasible..
It is truly said that ‘there is no human activity that does not benefit from
enhanced productivity’. Thus productivity is relevant to all organisations
whether their output is a product(s) or service(s). Globally, the concept
of productivity is being increasingly linked with quality. Improvement in
productivity helps ensure a better standard of living for individuals and
society. It is being increasingly recognised that rising productivity and
improving quality of work life tend to go hand in hand. Thus, the role of
productivity in national welfare is widely accepted.
Productivity largely determines how competitive a country’s products
are internationally. Low productivity results in inflation, an adverse
balance of trade, poor growth rate and unemployment. In developing
countries like India, the vicious circle of poverty, unemployment and
low productivity can be broken by increasing productivity. This can
be achieved by facilitative and favourable social, political, cultural,
educational and motivational work environment. People in an organisation
are the principal resource and the central factor determining productivity.
Hence, the following can be used to enhance productivity at the individual
level and ultimately at the organisational and national levels – education
and training, fostering and developing healthy/positive attitudes to work,
motivation to perform better, rewards and incentives, communication,
job security, health security, improved work methods, use of technology.
Productivity enhancement is not just ‘doing things better’ but rather doing
the ‘appropriate things better’.
Time Management: Time is one of the most valuable resources. Managing
it means more than just managing yourself in relation to time. Rather it
means setting priorities, being willing to change those habits or activities
that cause waste of time. It may also require you adopt habits and methods
that enable you to make maximum use of time. With good time management
skills you can control your time, stress and energy. You can maintain
balance between your work and personal life. This enables you to find
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events more calmly. It is not how much time one has, but rather the way
one uses it.
Activity 12
Using the internet, students should search for tips on time
management. It is recommended that the search be directed as
“Time Management Power Point Presentations”. Find out the most
useful tips for the forthcoming examinations and prepare a checklist
for yourself.
Teacher may organise a guided discussion.
Multitasking is regarded as an essential skill at the workplace in these

modern times. Life in the 21st century has become increasingly complex
and involves doing many different things/tasks simultaneously. Attempts
to multitask can be honed and polished into a fine skill. It involves having
diverse skills and making optimum use of them. Multitasking began with
homemakers and naturally with women but has now become essential
at work desks and chambers in most offices and organisations. Every
person is required to multitask; some are more adept at this than others.
Today’s professionals are valued for their ability to handle information and
manage time efficiently. Success in a career is gained or lost by soft skills
and the ability to handle large and varied workloads. The ability to quickly
process and synthesise information and turn it into actions is one of the
most emergent skills of the professional world today. Time management
is important, and productivity is at a premium - therefore multitasking is
vital.
Achieving or completing a number of tasks in less time is a challenge
that all of us face, and we should actively look for ways and tips that
help us in accomplishing this. Therefore, students who are the future
professionals need to develop such skills by practising them, the best time
to start being right now.
Make a list of what you have to do and prioritise items. Start with the
most important task.
Doing the difficult things first helps to finish it faster rather than
procrastinating and being worried about it.
Focus on the task at hand and give it your full attention to be effective
and efficient.
40 Take a short break occasionally.
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Reduce any kind of interruptions. Constant interruptions, especially
for relatively unimportant matters, make one lose focus.

Work and Work Environment
All human beings like to survive and thrive in an environment that
encourages and motivates them to do all the good work that they are
capable of. Therefore, it is crucial to have a ‘culture’ of creating happy and
healthy work environments - not only in the physical and social sense but
also in the deeper psychological / mental and emotional aspects. A healthy
work environment can rightly be called a positive work environment. Such
an environment can be created by focusing on:
zz Paying adequate attention to the individual (employee needs and
expectations) in addition to organisational needs.
zz Providing an attractive and safe work environment.
zz Matching the person to the task.
zz Ensuring and facilitating technical competence.
zz Making the job interesting and challenging.
zz Fostering team spirit and team responsibility.
zz Being fair and treating people equally.
zz Building a positive work climate / ethos.
zz Motivating individuals and providing sustained opportunities for self-
development of employees.
zz Developing employees through training, building confidence,
feedback, encouragement and praise, support, positive reinforcement
and involving them.
zz Empowering employees, giving them authority wherever appropriate.
All of this can help the employer to boost the morale of those involved
in the organisation / workplace. In short, any wise employer / manager
recognises that people are ‘assets’ and are the ultimate valuable resource.
Hence creating and providing the climate / environment where employees
feel a sense of loyalty to the organisation and organisational development
is viewed as important as self-development.
In this context, a great deal of attention has been focused towards
occupational health and safety. Globally, legislative measures concerning
vital issues of occupational safety and health are being introduced and
enforced. Two international organisations, actively involved in these
efforts are the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World
Health Organisation (WHO). Worldwide, this movement towards health
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and safety has included the role of ergonomics in the workplace, making it
a specialised area of research and development activities.
What is Occupational Health?
The modern definition of Occupational Health (ILO and WHO) is: “The
promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and
social well-being of workers in all occupations – total health of all at work”. It
represents a dynamic equilibrium between the worker and his occupational
environment. It is dedicated to identifying and preventing ill health in the
workplace Through appropriate occupational health monitoring, it also
ensures that an individual does not have a specific medical condition that
would be made worse whilst in the working environment. The purpose of
ensuring occupational health is as follows:
zz To maintain and promote the physical, mental and social well being
of the workers
zz To achieve maximum human efficiency and machine efficiency
zz To reduce occupational hazards and accidents
zz To prevent occupational diseases and injuries
zz To reduce absenteeism due to illness and enhance productivity
zz To adapt the work place and work environment to the needs of the
workers i.e., application of principles of ergonomics
zz It should be preventive rather than curative.
In short, the goal of occupational health care is a healthy and safe working
environment, a well-functioning working community, prevention of work-
related diseases as well as the maintenance of employees’ working ability
and functional capacity, and promotion of their health.
This involves ensuring that:
zz the premises are safe
zz the machinery and materials are safe
zz systems of work, the working environment and facilities are safe
zz information, instruction, training and supervision is provided to
employees on safety matters
zz employees’ working ability vis – a –vis the load is assessed and their
health status is monitored
zz above all, hazards are eliminated / reduced to the extent possible.
Generally the aspects of occupational and personal safety are related
to ergonomics of workstations, noise levels, industrial hygiene, protection
against electric shock, protective equipment, radiation protection, safety
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of machinery, vibration and shock, protective clothing, protection against
falling and slipping etc.
What are Occupational Hazards?

They are viewed as ‘sources or situations’ with a potential for harm in
terms of injury or ill health, damage to property, damage to the workplace
environment, or a combination of these. Occupational hazards are of
various types: physical, chemical, biological, mechanical and psychosocial.
Table 1 lists hazards in each category.
Table 1: Different Types of Occupational Hazards
Physical Chemical Biological Mechanical Psychosocial
Heat Toxicity through Bacteria Injuries Psychological

Fever, inhalation, Tetanus, Falls,cuts, & behavioural
cramps, ingestion, skin Tuberculosis, abrasions, changes
exhaustion absorption. Anthrax concussions,
burns contusions Lack of job
Asphyxiants Viruses satisfaction,
Cold Carbon Hepatitis, Ergonomic insecurity, poor
Frost bite monoxide, AIDS Disorders interpersonal
hydrogen relations,
sulphide Musculo- work pressure,
Noise skeletal ambiguity,
Occupational Irritant gases Protozoa& disorders hostility,
deafness - Ammonia, Parasites (MSDs), headache,
sulphur dioxide Malaria, Cumulative- body-ache,
Radiation Hookworms, trauma- aggressiveness,
Cancer, Inorganic Dust tapeworms Disorders anxiety,
Leukemia, coal dust, silica, (CTDs) depression,
Aplastic asbestos. Fungi alcoholism,
anemia drug addiction,
Organic Dust sickness,
Electricity cane fiber, cotton absenteeism.
Burns, dust, tobacco,
shocks grain dust
It is clear that different work environments can pose different types of

hazards and risks for health of the employees. Therefore it is important
to identify and address the hazards with appropriate safety measures,
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not only by the employers but it is equally important for each individual
employee to be responsible for the safety and welfare of self and all persons
working in the organisation as well as the environment.

What are the Benefits of Occupational Health Care and Safety Measures?
Benefits are both for the employees as well as the organisation as a whole/
employer. For the employees / workers, the benefits include:
zz Better health and earning capacity.
zz Better quality of work life.
zz Prevention of accidents and any temporary or permanent disability.
zz Improved morale and enhanced productivity.
For the organisation / employer there are several advantages that
translate into financial benefits due to:
zz Greater productivity as a result of reduced absenteeism due to
sickness by preventing occupational diseases / other work-related
illnesses.
zz Increased profitability by keeping the workforce healthy.
zz Enabling the organisation to focus on core business.
zz Reduced risk and cost of litigation.
zz Reduced medical and legal claims, reduced workers’ compensation
costs.
zz Better staff attendance and retention.
zz Improved staff motivation and performance.
Accidents are more expensive than most people realise because
of the hidden costs. Some costs are obvious — for example, Workers’
Compensation claims which cover medical costs and payments for an
injured or ill worker. These are the direct costs of accidents. Besides this,
there are costs to train replacement worker(s), repair damaged property,
investigate the accident, implement corrective action, and pay for the
insurance coverage. Indirect costs of accidents include schedule delays,
increased administrative time, lower morale, increased absenteeism and
poorer customer relations.
Several large organisations take care to include pre-employment
screening. This helps the employer to ensure that people are fit for the job
for which they are to be employed and to place new employees appropriately
in relation to their physical capabilities.
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Effective occupational health and safety programmes focus on six elements:
zz Assessment of worksite safety and job hazard analysis. Job safety
analysis should form a base for the comprehensive survey. This

involves studying and recording the steps of a job in order to identify
existing or potential job hazards and to determine the best possible
way to perform the job to reduce / eliminate hazards (Table 2 shows
symbols used for some hazards). It includes analysing planned and
new facilities, processes, materials and equipment.
zz Prevention and control of hazards: In industries it is important to
maintain a record (inventory) of all chemicals and hazardous materials
in the plant. For many industries, a survey of noise levels, air samples
analysis, and a review of ergonomic risk factors are required.
zz Training of staff regarding health and safety issues. The hazard
communication program should be developed, implemented and
periodically reviewed.
zz Commitment of the Management: Management believes in safety and
health culture on the job as an important company goal along with
other organisational objectives such as cost control, quality, and
productivity.
zz Involvement of the Employees: Individuals within the organisation
believe they have a right to a safe and healthy workplace and accept
personal responsibility for ensuring his / her own safety and health.
They also believe that s/he has a duty to protect the safety and health
of colleagues.
zz The organisation should provide health counseling including physical
and mental health, stress management as well rehabilitation
programmes on all aspects – medical, social, educational, vocational
as per the problems and needs of individual employees.
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Table 2: Indications of Danger and Symbols for Substances and
Preparations Dangerous for Supply
Indication of danger Symbol-letter Symbol
Explosive E
Highly inflammable F
Toxic T
Harmful Xn
Irritant Xi
Corrosive C
Dangerous for the

N
environment
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of humans at work, in order to understand the
complex interrelationships of people with their job requirements, methods
of working, tools/equipment used and the environment. Ergonomics is
derived from two Greek words — ‘ergon’ (work) and ‘nomics’ (natural
laws). It may also be spoken of as ‘Human Factors Engineering’. In short,
ergonomics is the study of work with the primary goal being to adapt the
work environment to the worker. The objective is to generate working
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conditions that are not hazardous to human health, are acceptable to the
workers / the work force and are optimal for work output and productivity.

Ergonomics is “Adjustment of human
and Machine�. It involves application of
human biological sciences combined with
engineering science to achieve optimum
mutual adjustment of human work, with
the benefit being measured in terms of
human efficiency and well being. Tools,
machines and workstations are designed
to fit the work so that stress and problems
reduce stress and health problems.

Important aspects that are considered by ergonomists are in relation

to worker capacity (both physiological and psychological), task demands
(comprising nature and complexity, force required, duration, posture) and
the work environment (noise, humidity, vibration, light, temperature). The
science of ergonomics is set on the four pillars, namely anthropometry
(body size and measurements), biomechanics (musculoskeletal activities
and forces exerted), physiology and industrial psychology.
Need for ergonomics:

Use of ergonomics in the workplace is important for :
zz Improving safety and health by
– reducing number and
severity of workplace injuries. Ergonomics: An effective
productivity tool that
– reducing possibility of
addresses matters related to:
accidents due to human error.
zz workplace / workstation
zz Improving job effectiveness by
design
– increasing productivity
zz task design / design of
– reducing errors work methods
– eliminating or reducing zz equipment design
injuries
zz facilities
zz environment
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zz Improving job effectiveness by
– increasing job satisfaction through comfortable working
conditions.
Benefits of Ergonomics
Reduces risk of injury and accidents
Increases productivity
Reduces mistakes and need to do the work again
Increases efficiency
Decreases absenteeism due to ill health / accidents / stress
Improves morale of workers.
The importance of ergonomics can be illustrated with a simple example.

For a person who does office work, sitting on a chair that does not conform
to ergonomic safety specifications can cause back pain. According to
ergonomic principles, it is necessary that the chair height and stand be
adjustable to the user’s height and body measurements. The number of
chair legs must be suitable to its size to avoid falling.
Any ergonomics intervention must be viewed in light of its effect
on productivity, and the best ergonomics solutions will often improve
productivity. Simply put, reducing unnecessary or awkward postures
and exertions almost necessarily reduces the time it takes to complete a
given task, thus improving productivity. Creating a safe and productive
work environment is critical for any work place. Employees represent an
organisation’s most important asset. When a task is matched with the
ability of the people who will perform it, they will make fewer errors and
produce less waste. Ergonomic design considerations have been shown to
influence employee productivity and retention.
We have discussed at length various employment-related aspects that
are pertinent to livelihoods and productive professional careers. At this
juncture, it is necessary to also direct attention to the exciting possibility
of self-employment, personal enterprise and entrepreneurship. Self-
employment and innovative entrepreneurial ventures can be challenging,
stimulating and highly rewarding; hence they merit attention as an avenue
for building satisfying careers.
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Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of creating a new and innovative enterprise/

product or service. The function of entrepreneurs is to change the pattern
of a production or design of a product through innovations / invention or
even attempting new technological methods/modifications for producing
a new commodity or producing an old one in a new way. An entrepreneur
is a person who undertakes the creation of such changes in an enterprise
or business. Entrepreneurs use their acumen to assemble resources and/
or finances and aim to make a livelihood. This may even result in new
organisations or may be part of revitalising existing organisations.
An entrepreneur is a person who can take risks for converting a novel
idea into reality. An entrepreneur is innovative, creative, organised, and
risk taker. India has excellent examples of entrepreneurs who had the
vision and thought e.g., Mr. Narayan Murthy, JRD Tata, Dhirubhai Ambani
to name only a few.
Entrepreneurial activities differ depending on the type of organisation
that is being started. Entrepreneurship ranges from small individual
projects / micro units, sometimes involving the entrepreneur only part-
time, to major undertakings which give jobs to many people in addition
to the entrepreneur himself / herself. Many kinds of organisations now
exist to support aspiring entrepreneurs, including government agencies,
scientific institutes and organisations, financial institutions, such as
banks and some voluntary organisations.
Entrepreneurs make things happen:

zz May be a concept, product, policy or institution.
zz They become champions of new process(es),
engineers of change
Characteristics of Entrepreneurs
An entrepreneur must necessarily have some personal attributes that
enable him to take on the challenges of an enterprise. These include:
zz Willingness to work hard
zz Knowledge and skills for planning and implementation
zz Skills of management of finances, materials, personnel and time
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zz Having the courage to take calculated risks
zz Ability and preparedness to handle many tasks simultaneously
zz Ability to learn and acquire the necessary skills for the tasks at hand
zz Ability to deal with tough issues and find the solutions
zz Being realistic and not expecting easy solutions
zz Ability to cope with set-backs, challenges and failures
zz Ability to develop partnerships, and able networking
zz Ability to negotiate, strategise and prioritise
zz Being flexible and able to handle crises
zz Have good communication skills.
In short, to achieve his / her objectives, the entrepreneur must
be innovative, creative and goal-oriented. The entrepreneur must be
ready to initiate direct action and be motivated to seek and adopt more
effective means of doing things. Recently, more comprehensive and
holisitic conceptualisations of entrepreneurship have emerged wherein
entrepreneurship is seen as a specific mindset resulting in different
forms of entrepreneurial initiatives such as social entrepreneurship and
knowledge entrepreneurship.
Social entrepreneurship focusses on doing social good. The social
entrepreneur aims to achieve large scale benefits through entrepreneurship
for a specific group or to society at large. Generally, the social entrepreneur
works for the benefit of the underserved, neglected, disadvantaged groups
or individuals who do not have the financial resources to achieve the benefit
by themselves. Social entrepreneurs are ‘social catalysts’, visionaries who
create basic social changes and sustainable improvements. Such actions
may have the potential to stimulate global improvements in their specifically
selected areas, be it education, health care, economic development, the
environment, the arts, or any other social field. The success of social
entrepreneurship is ascertained not so much by the profits made but more
by the social benefits and impact.
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Activity 13
Form groups of 6-8 children and organise a discussion in the
groups about issues concerning unemployment. The discussion and

presentation should focus on the following:
zz Do you know anyone who is unemployed?
zz How is that person’s standard of living and state of mind affected
by the fact that he/she is unemployed?
zz Does he/she want to work?
zz Is unemployment a problem in our country?
zz What do you think are the main causes of unemployment in
India?
zz What does the government (locally and nationally) do about the
problem?
zz What other suggestions can you make to resolve this problem?
Key Terms
Work, meaningful work, careers, livelihood, rest and recreation, standard of

living, social responsibility, ethics, volunteerism, traditional occupations,
age and gender, child labour, attitudes and approaches to work, life skills,
work and dignity, quality of work life, job satisfaction, creativity and
innovation, work environment, occupational health, entrepreneurship.
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Notes
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Work Career Livelihood-NCRET

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

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zz A task, or duty that entails a sense of obligation.

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

Work, Careers and Livelihoods

Work is a set of activities with an intended set of outcomes. Yet it is not

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progressive achievement especially in public, professional, or business life”

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Human beings work, as per choice, circumstances or necessity. The type

Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

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zz Income zz Social inequalities or

Standard of living is often used to compare different areas or countries

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

Social Responsibility, Volunteerism, Shramdaan

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including environmental monitoring, ecological restoration such as

Shramdaan, Seva, Kar Seva

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

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the socio-economic culture. However, the modern economy has catapulted

Traditionally, the processes, techniques and skills of the crafting and

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Despite the rich heritage of traditional occupations, in the modern

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in implementing land reforms and inadequate or inefficient finance and

Coconut craft of Kerala Bamboo craft of Assam

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

Gender Issues in Relation to Work

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Therefore, it is said that Gender is socially constructed.

Issues and Concerns Related to Women and Work

Opportunities of participation by women in the labour market have declined

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

Article 16 (1) of the Constitution of India guarantees equality of

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

Organised Efforts for Empowerment of Women

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In the global scenario, in all cultures children do a variety of work, although

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career

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a Canadian-based student organisation formed by Craig Kielberger a

Work and the Elderly

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Unit I - Work, Livelihood and Career